November 1, 1895.] 



SCIENCE. 



583 



latter mostly not notched. Pedicels stout, 

 long as in amygdaloides. Stamens 4 to 7, 

 mostly 5 to 6, subverticillate, villous at base; 

 scales of staminate as in nigra, short obtuse, 

 villous inside, smooth and veined outside. 



On the 10th of May about i to ^ of the 

 staminate flowers were yet fresh, whilst 

 those of nigra had entirely vanished. They 

 were therefore about 1 days later than nigra, 

 and fully three weeks later than amygdal- 

 oides. Some of the capsules were not fully de- 

 veloped, whilst most of nigra had opened. 



The discoloration occurring in drying is 

 light or dark brown. The odor given off 

 in handling is strong, rather disagreeable. 

 Many of both staminate and fertile aments 

 were much disfigured and deformed by in- 

 sect work, or fungous infection. Stamens 

 were caused to look like immature capsules. 



Venation : In its very minute reticulation, 

 Wardi presents an almost exact counterpart 



of nigra ; it lacks however the looping and 

 marginal of the latter.* As to surface ve- 

 nation, while some specimens show raised 

 reticulation moderately, as a rule, this is 

 not a prominent feature. 



Infusion : making strong infusions of the 

 bark and leaves of each of Wardi, nigra, 

 and amygdaloides, the first resulted in a 

 liquid of slight bitterness, light brown 

 color; the second, of increased bitterness, 

 also brown color; the third of much in- 

 creased bitterness, black color, the last two 

 were from fresh material. 



In comparing my Missouri with my Wash- 

 ington specimens, I find evidence of prob- 

 able contamination in the latter series. 

 Such are the shorter pedicels, the tendency 

 to the notching of the stigma, and the 

 greater prevalence of the long narrow- 

 leaved forms. 



Finally, having examined several speci- 



SYNOPIICAL CONSPECTUS OF S. NIGRA, WABDI, AND AMYGDALOIDES, SHOWING RESEMBLANCES AND 



DIFFERENCES. 



^See writer's paper 'Venation of Salix ' 5 Eept. Mo. Bot. Gard., p. ,52. 



